Unsurprisingly, both state and federal governments have hindered civilian-lead efforts, not because responders and volunteers were at odds, but because the governments were disorganized. Instead of providing assistance, government officials were overstepping their bounds, even threatening to jail volunteers for stepping in where local officials failed to act.

It took DAYS for the Pentagon to authorize Title 10 funds for crisis response, causing helicopters to remain grounded due to bureaucratic delays. It wasn’t until Jonathan Howard’s viral post that action began to take place. While troops, eager to assist, are finally mobilizing, it was not because of leaders facilitating the process. Rather, it was due to civilians raising awareness about the politicians’ obstruction.

Helicopters weren’t just grounded; in some areas, volunteers were actively discouraged from helping their neighbors because the government wanted to take the credit, or for some other unclear reason.

This also includes bureaucrats, like Mayor Pete, inhibiting the use of private drones in order to locate hurricane victims in need and recording footage of the disaster.

The 82nd Airborne based in North Carolina was ordered to remain inactive for almost a week and was on standby for potential deployment to the Middle East. It wasn’t until soldiers and veterans voiced their frustration that the Pentagon finally dispatched 1,000 troops to aid in the recovery efforts—arriving days late and falling short of what was needed.

FEMA’s inability to deliver aid to hurricane-stricken communities has understandably caused fear and frustration. An NPR host recently expressed worries that it might work in Trump’s favor at the polls. But we all know what the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities are:

Don’t forget to collect your $750.

While disaster survivors may be more likely to vote against Kamala Harris, many might not be in a position to vote at all. The top priority of Hurricane Helene victims is on survival—there’s not much energy can survivors can spare for voting when they’re trying to rebuild their lives. In light of the Biden White House’s ridiculous actions, it cannot be ruled out that blocking and impeding assistance is part of the Democrat’s cynical ploy in hopes of denying Trump another term as president.